Course Outline
Course Outline
Course Outline
MGMT350-341
Summer 2014
August 25- October 17, 2014
a. Method of Instruction: This course is a face to face course utilizing some features from
the TAMUCT/Tarleton Blackboard platform. We will meet every Tuesday and Thursday
from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Soldier Development Center on Fort Hood, Texas. Texas
A&M University- Central Texas courses have a presence on the University Learning
Management System. This online presence includes: Faculty information, textbook
information, course syllabus, and student evaluation of courses. Students can access these
resources by using their University ID (UID) and the 6-digit University PIN to logon to this
system. The available Course Outline in this Syllabus shows the basic schedule for the
semester.
b. Student/Professor Email: I am readily accessible through email, which I check often. I will
get back to you within 24 hours during the week and within 36 hours on the weekend. I can
also be reached by phone by calling 254-247-5063.
c. Office Hours: I will be available 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after class for any
student who wishes to talk to me about a course related issue. The office is our designated
classroom at the Soldier Development Center on Fort Hood, Texas.
d. UNILERT: UNILERT is an emergency notification service that gives Texas A&M University-
Central Texas the ability to communicate important health and safety emergency
information quickly via email and text message. By enrolling in UNILERT, university officials
can quickly pass on safety-related information, regardless of your location. Please enroll at
http://www.ct.tamus.edu/unilert/index.php
1.0 Course Overview and Description: Organizational Behavior is a field of study that
investigates the impact that individuals, groups and structure have on behavior within
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organizations, for the purpose of applying such knowledge toward improving an
organization’s effectiveness.
2.1 Intended Student Learning Outcomes: Students completing this course will be able to
understand the importance of taking a systematic approach to the study of individual and
group behavior in organizational settings. They shall analyze, synthesize, comprehend, and
explain all components of the OB model and its relationship to the successful operation of
modern organizations. An extensive study of the principles of psychology, sociology, and
social psychology will allow students to be more effective members of organizations to which
they might belong now or in the future. At the close of the semester, students will be able:
1) To identify the factors that impact individual and group behavior in organizations and
how organizations manage their environments.
2) To analyze, describe, and manage attitudes and behavior in organizations.
3) To improve and change individual, group, and organizational behavior to attain
individual, group, and organizational goals.
4) To analyze organizational behavior at three levels: the individual, the group, and the
organization as a whole.
5) To use the tools of organizational behavior to increase individual, team, and
organizational effectiveness.
Specific Learning Objectives for each text chapter are included as Appendix A to this
Syllabus.
Text: McShane, Steven L., Von Glinow, Mary Ann (2014). Organizational Behavior;
emerging knowledge, global reality (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin ISBN
9781259280634 or 1259280632 (These are equivalent)– Hardcover text with Connect Plus.
Connect Plus is required for this course. If the access code is not included with your text you
can purchase it by accessing the link below.
http://connect.mheducation.com/class/j-fry-mgmt-350-fall-14
You can purchase the e-book version of the text from CourseSmart ISBN 9780077862589
at: http://www.coursesmart.com/organizational-behavior-6th-edition/mcshane-steven-
von-glinow-mary/dp/0077324536
A student of this institution is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from a
university-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an
independent retailer, including an online retailer.
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5.0 Performance Guidelines
5.1 Attendance and Individual Performance (20 percent): I ask for your regular participation
in class discussion and activities, and for your timely completion of assignments. Those who
demonstrate quality, professional performance, will earn high grades, and those who don’t
will earn lesser grades.
I strongly encourage your attendance for each class. I recognize that not all students are
able to attend each class session. When you are absent from class, use the buddy system
to find out what you missed and obtain lecture notes. I expect each student to take personal
responsibility for making up missed subject matter and assignments. Your timely
attendance, preparation for and participation in class discussion, and timeliness of
assignment submissions will all contribute toward the grade that you earn for in this class.
5.2 Reading/assignments: Class meetings will consist of: lecture on and review of assigned
chapters. You are expected to study the material for each assigned chapter, prior to coming
to class. See paragraph 8 for reading schedule.
5.4 Written Assignments (40 percent): There will be two written assignments during the
course. Further and specific instructions for written assignments will be given in class. Each
case is worth 200 grading points.
I. Case Study: Organizational Culture (20 percent). After chapter 14, you will have
learned about organizational culture. The purpose of the Organizational Culture Case
Study Project is to explore the organizational culture of a “real life” company. Using the
information you have gleaned from Chapter 14 and class materials, perform a cultural
analysis of an organization of your choice.
Select an organization and do secondary research, using TAMU-CT library data bases
and other resources, to study the organization’s culture. The organization you select
should be a Fortune 500 company that has enough written about it in the business press
(e.g., Business Week, Fortune, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal) for you to do an
adequate cultural analysis.
You will produce at least a 10-page written report (excluding cover sheet, references and
any figures, tables or appendices). Your case analysis should provide:
1. A description of the elements of the company’s culture in terms of artifacts, shared
values, and shared assumptions (worth 45% of the grade).
2. Your assessment of the relationship between the organization’s culture and company
performance, including the effects of cultural strength, fit or alignment with its
environment, adaptive culture, and how it works to socialize its employees to fit the
organization’s culture (worth 45% of your grade).
3. Be sure and include at least ten references, which must be cited in the body of your
paper (worth 10% of the grade). Referencing multiple pages from the same
organization’s web site only count as one citation (e.g., Apple Inc.). When using
more than one page from the same company, provide a URL that links to the home
page or entry page for the document. Also, if there isn't a date available for the
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document use (n.d.) for no date.
4. The due date for the Organizational Culture Case Study is September 21, 2014. The
entire Case Study will be submitted as an email attachment to me in one PDF file. A
paper copy must also be turned in to me on or before the due date.
5. Late submission of the Case Study will result in a grade reduction of 10% for
each day it is late (maximum of 30%) and will not be accepted beyond three (3)
days from the due date.
II. Management Competency Journal (20 Percent): Each chapter in the text has cases
and self-assessment exercises. In this course you are required to prepare a journal in which
you record what you have learned from completing each of the assigned cases and
exercises. The Management Competency Journal is where you should demonstrate that you
have mastered and can apply course concepts. It is not enough to just list your answers.
For “Case Studies,” read the case and then answer the questions at the end of the case be
sure and apply the relevant course concepts as appropriate. Be sure and also include the
Case Questions in bold along with your answers.
For “Exercises” be sure that you discuss what you have learned about you. You are not
required to duplicate or copy each exercise, just read and comply with the instructions for
that particular exercise. Be sure and give your score for each exercise as part of your
discussion.
A well thought out and complete response to each case/self-assessment applies concepts
from the text to fully support your analysis. Expected length for responses is 2-3
complete paragraphs per question.
Submit this assignment to me on October 16, 2014. The entire Management Competency
Journal will be submitted in one PDF file. A paper copy must also be turned in to me on or
before the due date.
The cover sheet will contain the following information: 1) “My Journal,” 2) student’s name, 3)
course title and designator (e.g., Organizational Behavior, MGMT350), 4) instructor’s title
and name, university name, and due date.
No late submissions of the Management Competency Journal will be accepted!
The assigned cases and self assessments that will comprise your Management
Competency Journal are:
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Chapter 10- Case Study– Resonus Corporation
Chapter 11- Self-Assessment – What is Your Preferred Conflict Handling Style?
Chapter 12- Case Study– A Window On Life
Chapter 13- Case – Merritt’s Bakery
Chapter 15- Self-Assessment – Are You Tolerant of Change?
5.8 Exams (40 percent): There will a series of exams testing students’ knowledge of the key
frameworks, terms, and concepts included in the assigned text chapters. Exams will be
grouped as follows, and are not cumulative:
Exams will be timed and once started, must be completed at that time. There will be no
make-ups for missed exams unless there is a documented medical emergency. All exams
will be performed using the University’s Blackboard Learning Management System.
NOTE #2: Requests for Incomplete Grades: Incompletes will only be given in emergency or
other extreme circumstances. Any request for an incomplete grade in this course must be
approved by the professor prior to the last week of classes. Where possible, requests
should be submitted in written form and must include an address and/or telephone number
where you may be contacted throughout the following semester. Tarleton State University
uses the grade of ‘K’ on transcripts and grade reports to identify incomplete grades.
NOTE #3: Questions concerning one’s grade on a particular task (e.g., test, case) should be
resolved within one week after receiving the graded material. There will be no reviewing of
previously graded material at the end of the semester.
Grading Policy: Minimum points required for a specific course grade are noted on the table
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below.
Posting of Grades: Whenever possible, Student will be informed of their grades within one
week of the assignment/test due date.
For this course, you will need reliable and frequent access to a computer and to the
Internet. You will also need a headset with a microphone or speakers and a microphone to
be able to listen to online resources and conduct other activities in the course. If you do not
have frequent and reliable access to a computer with Internet connection, please consider
dropping this course or contact me (your email and phone number) to discuss your
situation.
Check browser and computer compatibility by following the “Browser Check” link on the
TAMU-CT Blackboard logon page. (https://tamuct.blackboard.com) This is a CRITICAL
step as these settings are important for when you take an exam or submit an assignment.
Upon logging on to Blackboard Learn, you will see a link to Blackboard Student Orientation
under My Courses tab. Click on that link and study the materials in this orientation course.
The new Blackboard is a brand-new interface and you will have to come up to speed with it
really quickly. This orientation course will help you get there. There is also a link to
Blackboard Help from inside the course on the left-hand menubar. The first week of the
course includes activities and assignments that will help you get up to speed with
navigation, sending and receiving messages and discussion posts, and submitting an
assignment. Your ability to function within the Blackboard system will facilitate your
success in this course.
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Technology issues are not an excuse for missing a course requirement – make sure your
computer is configured correctly and address issues well in advance of deadlines.
Assignments/
Unit/Date Activities Subject Journal Assignment
Introduction to The Read Syllabus
1A Intro/Syllabus Field of Organizational Case Study: Improving heath by
08/26 Chap 1 Behavior Getting lean.
1B Individual Behavior, Self- Assessment: Are You
08/28 Chap 2 Personality, and Values Extraverted or Introverted?
Perceiving Ourselves
2A and Others in Self- Assessments: Does Work
09/02 Chap 3 Organizations Define Your Self-Concept?
Case Study: Rough Seas on the
2B Workplace Emotions, Link650
09/04 Chap 4 Attitudes, and Stress Exam 1 Chap 1-4
3A Case Study: Hilton’s
09/09 Chap 14 Organization Culture Transformation
3B Foundations of Self- Assessment: Need Strength
09/11 Chap 5 Employee Motivation Questionnaire
4A Applied Performance Self- Assessment: What is Your
09/16 Chap 6 Practices Attitude Toward Money?
Self- Assessment: Measure Your
4B Decision Making & Creative Personality
09/18 Chap 7 Creativity Exam 2 Chap 14, 5, 6,7
5A
09/23 Chap 8 Team Dynamics Case Study: ArbreCorp Ltee
Communication In
5B Teams and Self- Assessment: Are You an
09/25 Chap 9 Organizations Active Listener?
6A Power & Influence in
09/30 Chap 10 the Workplace Case Study: Resonus Corp
Self- Assessment: What is Your
Preferred Conflict Handling Style?
Conflict and Negotiation
6B Exam 3 Chap 8-11
in the Workplace
10/02 Chap 11 Organizational Culture Project Due
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Leadership in
7A
Organizational Settings
10/07 Chap 12 Case Study: A Window on Life
Designing
7B Organizational
10/09 Chap 13 Structures Case Study: Merritt’s Bakery
This Syllabus is subject to change by the Professor. Should changes be made, students
will be notified as soon as possible.
9.0 Drop Policy: If you discover that you need to drop this class, you must go to the Records
Office and ask for the necessary paperwork. Professors cannot drop students; this is
always the responsibility of the student. Be sure to keep up with Registrar’s Office deadlines
for withdrawing from this course, should your progress fall significantly behind. The record’s
office will give a deadline for which the form must be returned, completed, and signed. Once
you return the signed form to the records office and wait 24 hours, you must go into
DuckTrax and confirm that you are no longer enrolled. If you are still enrolled, FOLLOW-UP
with the records office immediately. Should you miss the deadline or fail to follow the
procedure, you will receive an F in the course. “Incompletes” will be given in this class ONLY
if a significant portion of the course has been completed and there is a documented medical
or family emergency warranting the incomplete.
10.0 Academic Integrity: Texas A&M University - Central Texas expects all students to maintain
high standards of honor in personal and scholarly conduct. Any deviation from this
expectation may result in a minimum of a failing grade for the assignment and potentially a
failing grade for the course. All academic dishonesty concerns will be reported to the
university's Office of Student Conduct. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to,
cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism and improper citation of
sources, using another student's work, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials. When
in doubt on collaboration, citation, or any issue, please contact me before taking a course of
action. More information can be found at:
http://www.tamuct.edu/departments/studentconduct/academicintegrity.php
11.0 Disability Support and Access: At Texas A&M University- Central Texas, we value an
inclusive learning environment where every student has an equal chance to succeed and
has the right to an education that is barrier-free. The Office of Disability Support and Access
is responsible for ensuring that students with a disability enjoy equal access to the
University's programs, services and activities. Some aspects of this course or the way the
course is taught may present barriers to learning due to a disability. If you feel this is the
case, please contact Disability Support and Access at (254) 501-5831 in Warrior Hall, Ste.
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212. For more information, please visit their website at www.tamuct.edu/DisabilitySupport.
Any information you provide is private and confidential and will be treated as such.
12.0 Tutoring: Tutoring is available to all TAMUCT students, both on-campus and online.
Subjects tutored include Accounting, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics, and Writing. Tutors
are available at the Tutoring Center in Warrior Hall, Room 111. Visit
www.ct.tamus.edu/AcademicSupport and click "Tutoring Support" for tutor schedules and
contact info. If you have questions, need to schedule a tutoring session, or if you're
interested in becoming a tutor, contact Academic Support Programs at 254-501-5830 or by
emailing tutoring@ct.tamus.edu.
13.0 Library Services: Information literacy focuses on research skills which prepare individuals
to live and work in an information-centered society. Library research skills are another
critical tool in the business world, and will be required for this class in conjunction with
Management Portfolio Project. Librarians will work with students in the development of
critical reasoning, ethical use of information, and the appropriate use of secondary research
techniques. Help may include, yet is not limited to: exploration of information resources such
as library collections and services, identification of subject databases and scholarly journals,
and execution of effective search strategies. Library Resources are outlined and accessed
at: http://www.tarleton.edu/centraltexas/departments/library/.
14.0 Professionalism
Class attendance and participation can only enhance your grade. You can receive extra
points for participation that might make a difference if you are 1-2 points below the next
highest letter grade.
16.0 Instructor Notes: Professional level writing and communication are critical skills in the
business world. This standard should be displayed in all assignments for this class. All
communications, both to the Professor and student colleagues should be kept professional,
including classroom discussion and email correspondence. For written assignments, all work
should be proofread, free of grammatical errors, include proper citations and be in
accordance with American Psychological Association (APA) standards. For information on
APA standards and correct citation formats consult the APA Publication Manual, and/or link
to the following sources: http://www.tarleton.edu/library/userhelp/APA_format_bib.pdf
http://www.library.cornell.edu/newhelp/res_strategy/citing/apa.html
For Internet citations - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/ References in the
body of your paper are not cited correctly. A sample paper using APA style guidelines can
be reviewed at: http://www.dianahacker.com/pdfs/Hacker-Shaw-APA.pdf
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Appendix A
On completing the learning activities for each chapter students will be able to do the following:
Chapter 1:
LO1 Define organizational behavior and organizations, and discuss the importance of this field
of inquiry.
LO2 Compare and contrast the four current perspectives of organizational effectiveness, as well
as the early goal attainment perspective.
LO3 Debate the organizational opportunities and challenges of globalization, workforce
diversity, and virtual work.
LO4 Discuss the anchors on which organizational behavior knowledge is based.
Chapter 2:
LO1 Describe the four factors that directly influence individual behavior and performance.
LO2 Summarize the five types of individual behavior in organizations.
LO3 Describe personality, the “Big Five” personality dimensions, and four MBTI types, and
explain how personality relates to individual behavior in organizations.
LO4 Summarize Schwartz's model of individual values and discuss the conditions under which
values influence behavior.
LO5 Describe three ethical principles and discuss four factors that influence ethical behavior.
LO6 Review five values commonly studied across cultures.
Chapter 3:
LO1 Describe the elements of self-concept and explain how they affect an individual's behavior
and well-being.
LO2 Outline the perceptual process and discuss the effects of categorical thinking and mental
models in that process.
LO3 Discuss how stereotyping, attribution, self-fulfilling prophecy, halo, false-consensus,
primacy, and recency effects influence the perceptual process.
LO4 Discuss three ways to improve perceptions, with specific applications to organizational
situations.
LO5 Outline the main features of a global mindset and justify its usefulness to employees and
organizations.
Chapter 4:
LO1 Explain how emotions and cognition (logical thinking) influence attitudes and behavior.
LO2 Discuss the dynamics of emotional labor and the role of emotional intelligence in the
workplace.
LO3 Summarize the consequences of job dissatisfaction, as well as strategies to increase
organizational (affective) commitment.
LO4 Describe the stress experience and review three major stressors.
LO5 Identify five ways to manage workplace stress.
Chapter 5:
LO1 Define employee engagement.
LO2 Explain the role of human drives and emotions in employee motivation and behavior.
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LO3 Summarize Maslow's needs hierarchy, McClelland's learned needs theory, and four-drive
theory, and discuss their implications for motivating employees.
LO4 Discuss the expectancy theory model, including its practical implications.
LO5 Outline organizational behavior modification (OB Mod) and social cognitive theory and
explain their relevance to employee motivation.
LO6 Describe the characteristics of effective goal setting and feedback.
LO7 Summarize equity theory and describe ways to improve procedural justice.
Chapter 6:
LO1 Discuss the meaning of money and identify several individual, team, and organizational-
level performance-based rewards.
LO2 Describe five ways to improve reward effectiveness.
LO3 List the advantages and disadvantages of job specialization.
LO4 Diagram the job characteristics model and describe three ways to improve employee
motivation through job design.
LO5 Define empowerment and identify strategies that support empowerment.
LO6 Describe the five elements of self-leadership and identify specific personal and work
environment influences on self-leadership.
Chapter 7:
LO1 Describe the rational choice paradigm of decision making.
LO2 Explain why people differ from the rational choice paradigm when identifying
problems/opportunities, evaluating/choosing alternatives, and evaluating decision outcomes.
LO3 Discuss the roles of emotions and intuition in decision making.
LO4 Describe employee characteristics, workplace conditions, and specific activities that
support creativity.
LO5 Describe the benefits of employee involvement and identify four contingencies that affect
the optimal level of employee involvement.
Chapter 8:
LO1 Discuss the benefits and limitations of teams, and explain why employees join informal
groups.
LO2 Outline the team effectiveness model and discuss how task characteristics, team size, and
team composition influence team effectiveness.
LO3 Discuss how the four team processes—team development, norms, cohesion, and trust—
influence team effectiveness.
LO4 Discuss the characteristics and factors required for the success of self-directed teams and
virtual teams.
LO5 Identify four constraints on team decision making and discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of four structures aimed at improving team decision making.
Chapter 9:
LO1 Explain why communication is important in organizations, and discuss four influences on
effective communication encoding and decoding.
LO2 Compare and contrast the advantages of and problems with electronic mail, other verbal
communication media, and nonverbal communication.
LO3 Explain how social acceptance and media richness influence the preferred communication
channel.
LO4 Discuss various barriers (noise) to effective communication, including cross-cultural and
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gender-based differences in communication.
LO5 Explain how to get your message across more effectively, and summarize the elements of
active listening.
LO6 Summarize effective communication strategies in organizational hierarchies, and review
the role and relevance of the organizational grapevine.
Chapter 10:
LO1 Describe the dependence model of power as well as the five sources of power in
organizations.
LO2 Discuss the four contingencies of power.
LO3 Explain how people and work units gain power through social networks.
LO4 Describe eight types of influence tactics, three consequences of influencing others, and
three contingencies to consider when choosing an influence tactic.
LO5 Identify the organizational conditions and personal characteristics that support
organizational politics, as well as ways to minimize organizational politics.
Chapter 11:
LO1 Define conflict and debate its positive and negative consequences in the workplace.
LO2 Distinguish constructive from relationship conflict and describe three strategies to minimize
relationship conflict during constructive conflict episodes.
LO3 Diagram the conflict process model and describe six structural sources of conflict in
organizations.
LO4 Outline the five conflict handling styles and discuss the circumstances in which each would
be most appropriate.
LO5 Apply the six structural approaches to conflict management and describe the three types of
third-party dispute resolution.
LO6 Describe the bargaining zone model and outline strategies that skilled negotiators use to
claim value and create value in negotiations.
Chapter 12:
LO1 Define leadership and shared leadership.
LO2 Describe the four elements of transformational leadership, and explain why they are
important for organizational change.
LO3 Compare managerial leadership with transformational leadership, and describe the
features of task-oriented, people-oriented, and servant leadership.
LO4 Discuss the key elements of path-goal theory, Fiedler's contingency model, and leadership
substitutes
LO5 Describe the two components of the implicit leadership perspective.
LO6 Identify eight competencies associated with effective leaders, and describe authentic
leadership.
LO7 Discuss cultural and gender similarities and differences in leadership.
Chapter 13:
LO1 Describe three types of coordination in organizational structures.
LO2 Discuss the role and effects of span of control, centralization, and formalization, and relate
these elements to organic and mechanistic organizational structures.
LO3 Identify and evaluate six types of departmentalization.
LO4 Explain the relevance of the external environment, organizational size, technology, and
strategy for designing an organizational structure.
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Chapter 14:
LO1 Describe the elements of organizational culture and discuss the importance of
organizational subcultures.
LO2 List four categories of artifacts through which corporate culture is deciphered.
LO3 Discuss the importance of organizational culture and the conditions in which organizational
culture strength improves organizational performance.
LO4 Compare and contrast four strategies for merging organizational cultures.
LO5 Describe five strategies for changing or strengthening an organization's culture, including
the application of attraction–selection–attrition theory.
LO6 Describe the organizational socialization process and identify strategies to improve that
process.
Chapter 15:
LO1 Describe the elements of Lewin's force field analysis model.
LO2 Discuss the reasons people resist organizational change and how change agents should
view this resistance.
LO3 Outline six strategies for minimizing resistance to change, and debate ways to effectively
create an urgency to change.
LO4 Discuss how leadership, coalitions, social networks, and pilot projects influence
organizational change.
LO5 Describe and compare action research, appreciative inquiry, large group interventions, and
parallel learning structures as formal approaches to organizational change.
LO6 Discuss two cross-cultural and three ethical issues in organizational change.
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